IMMUNIZING CATTLE AGAINST ANTICATTLE- 

 PLAGUE SERUM. 



By E. H. RUEDIGEE. 



{From the Serum Section of the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Science, 



Manila, P. I.) 



In eonnection with the formation of antibodies after injections of 

 anticattle-phTgue serum, it has been stated that animals that have been 

 repeatedly inoculated with anticattle-plagne serum eventually become more 

 susceptible to infection with the disease. While the views of the author 

 .did not coincide with such an idea, nevertheless, as the question was one 

 of considerable practical importance, it was thought advisable to in- 

 vestigate this question by experiment. 



It is an established fact that certain immune substances present in 

 the serum of one species of animal, when injected into an animal of 

 another species lead to the production of antiimmune substances. 



Metschnikoff/ in 1900, injected spermotoxic serum of guinea pigs into rabbits, 

 and, after so treating the rabbits for a short period of time, found that their 

 serum had acquired the property of neutralizing or peventing the toxic action 

 of the spermotoxic guinea pig serum upon spermatozoa. Weichart - also obtained 

 antispermotoxic serum by treating animals with spermotoxic serum. 



Metschnikoff,' Ehrlich,'' Mxieller ° and others produced antihaemotoxin (hsemo- 

 lysin) by treating animals with haemotoxic servim. 



The subject of antiimmune bodies soon became an important one from 

 a practical as well as from a scientific standpoint. Diphtheria antitoxin, 

 tetanus antitoxin, antiplague serum and other immune serums, are fre- 

 quently given to persons who have been exposed. to the respective diseases, 

 and if antiimmune substances were produced such prophylactic treat- 

 ment would become detrimental instead of beneficial. 



Kraiis and Eisenberg *"' treated rabbits, dogs and goats with diphtheria 

 antitoxin, tvplioid agglutinating serum, and with laetoserum. The serum 



^ Ann. Inst. Pasteur. (1900), 14, 1. 

 ' Ann. Inst. Pasteur. (1901), 15, 832. 

 'Bull, de I'Acad. de Med. (1909), 43, 598. 

 'Berlin klin. Woch. (1901), 38, 569. 

 'Centralbl. f. Bald. (1901). 1. 29, 175. 

 «/6)d. (1902), I, 31, 208. 



353 



